Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ningbo and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ningbo: $691 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Ningbo
Learn more

Ningbo Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Ningbo

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ningbo and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ningbo and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $691 in Ningbo versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Ningbo $691
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,179 in Ningbo versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Ningbo $1,179
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Ningbo versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Ningbo $1,668
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Ningbo costs roughly 49% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ningbo is 49% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.89 ¥19.32

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.12 ¥201

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

-13.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ¥29.83

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

-21.75%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.55

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

34.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-74.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ¥23.00

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-21.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.65

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ¥7.79

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.66

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-40.68%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.46

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.18 ¥101

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-13.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 ¥24.53

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

-2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 ¥58.7

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-26.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.13

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-70.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.42

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ¥10.52

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-36.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-65.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-69.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.32

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-35.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.53 Rp 9,509

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 ¥30.79

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

101.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 ¥53.7

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-63.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.43

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-65.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ¥10.04

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-49.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.23 Rp 4,112

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.67 ¥111

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

87.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$0.47 Rp 8,466

257.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.31

$0.43 Rp 7,737

-18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.16 ¥47.90

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

30.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

60.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.6K ¥131.1K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

-17.85%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.1K ¥121.3K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-44.68%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$51.9 ¥347

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-35.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.67 ¥44.63

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.80 ¥52.1

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

-58.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.44 ¥170

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-52.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.16 ¥94.7

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-22.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ¥53.8

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

89.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$932 ¥6,234

$493 Rp 8.9M

89.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ¥106.6K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

184.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 ¥427

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

40.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.75 ¥179

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 ¥416

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ¥351

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-33.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,394

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-68.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,230

$673 Rp 12.1M

-72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 ¥5,121

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-78.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 ¥3,136

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-72.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,784 ¥25.3K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

39.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,053 ¥13.7K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 ¥7,977

$166 Rp 3.0M

617.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

13.78

-76.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ningbo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ningbo

$191 27.7%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 50.2% $96

Accommodation & Living

Ningbo

$184 26.6%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 266% $489

Eating Out

Ningbo

$94 13.6%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 13.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Ningbo

$92 13.4%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 15.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ningbo

$66 9.6%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 58.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Ningbo

$42 6%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 50.8% $21

Getting Around

Ningbo

$21 3.1%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 41.7% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Ningbo and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ningbo pays 617% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Ningbo vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $287 per month, with Ningbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Ningbo

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

Same time as Ningbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,605,689

74,800

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ningbo Ubud, Bali 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ningbo
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ningbo vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ningbo wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ningbo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 617% higher in Ningbo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $358 in Ningbo versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $932 in Ningbo versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $691 in Ningbo versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ningbo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $691 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ningbo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ningbo and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.